Abstract:
On the basis of a consideration of the mechanism of the asphalt surfacing behaviour above cement concrete base joints or cracks under changes of temperature, the design scheme, design dependence and procedures for the road pavement evaluation from the viewpoint of thermal crack resistance are proposed.
It is shown that crack resistance depends not only on the material properties, but also on the geometric parameters of the surfacing and base courses.
As an index of the thermal crack resistance evaluation, the coefficient of crack resistance calculated using the proposed relationships has been suggested. The design formulae take into consideration the strength, deformation and thermo-physical characteristics of the materials of the structural layers as well as their thicknesses, contact conditions and the effect of the environment. The significance of specific design parameters has been analyzed. Some practical recommendations for the improvement of the road structure crack resistance are given.
The procedure is intended to compare and evaluate the thermal crack resistance of different rigid pavement structures with asphalt surfacing.